JBL PartyBox Stage 320 - Big Bass Boom

In an incredibly crowded bluetooth speaker market, somehow JBL has managed to carve out quite a niche for itself when it comes to oversized party speakers with flashing lights and amazing bass performance.

The idea seems to be, whether you're dancing, singing or just need a few coloured lights and a room-filling sound, JBL has a single box that will do the job.

In fact, in recent years, JBL has come up with several options that'll do the job, each iteration getting brighter, bigger and louder.

The PartyBox Stage 320 isn't even the biggest party speaker in the JBL line-up; that honour goes to the PartyBox Ultimate - a truly huge monolith that is somewhat held back by the fact it runs on mains-power only. That's the first thing Stage 320 has going for it; genuine portability.

JBL promises up to 18 hours of non-stop partying on a full charge and it even sells additional batteries so if 18 hours isn't quite enough, you can just swap out power cells and keep dancing. That sounds like a total nightmare to me but I guess there must be some scenarios that require more than 18 hours of continuous beats and JBL is only too happy to oblige.

Although weighing in at a hefty 16.5kgs, there's a combination of sturdy, wide wheels at the rear of the base and a robust, telescopic handle to make it relatively easy to move around... kind of like a suitcase - if the suitcase was capable of rattling the windows while playing your favourite playlist. 

Like all JBL PartyBoxes, the Stage 320 is built with durability in mind. Nothing is more hazardous to finely-tuned AV tech than a bunch of people eating, drinking, singing, dancing and having fun. So not only is the Stage 320 ruggedly constructed, with plenty of party-friendly rounded corners, it also carries an IPX4 splash-resistance rating. Whether you're pool-side, beach-side or bar-side, this speaker is going to take a reasonable amount of punishment and still keep blasting.

Supposedly, the Stage 320's 6.5-inch woofers will deliver "clean, precise, deep bass" while the duo of 25mm dome tweeters take care of the highs. I've been testing it all out quite a bit in recent days and that's true - as long as you're prepared to tweak things a bit.

"It Gets Better" by Rex Orange County is a quirky, bouncy track that jumps around dynamically between keyboard/vocals only, then cuts in and out of more dancey drum and bass sections. At first it all sounded slightly muddy - admittedly I had the Bassboost on (using the JBL PartyBox app, Bassboost can be set to "Deep" or "Punchy") but isn't that the point of a big JBL like this? To blast out the bass? As it turns out, it depends what you're listening to. There are a few preset EQs in the app but it wasn't until I created my own custom one, pushing up the mids, that the full soundscape of "It Gets Better" really came to life.

Then I gave in and just turned off Bassboost altogether, went back to the JBL Signature EQ and things transformed dramatically.

On an even softer, more acoustic track like Ray LaMontange's "Roses and Cigarettes," suddenly every instrument had plenty of space to breathe and everything played warmly, yet clearly.

Don't get me wrong, this speaker sounds great - with the right settings applied to the right genre and boy, does it get loud.

So when should I crank that Bassboost button?

How about on Madonna's "Die Another Day?" Yup. This is a sparse yet highly produced dance track with heavily effected vocals and a super-punchy bass drop. It actually gave me goosebumps - although that could just be the bass rumble vibrating up through my chair. And that's at about 50% volume.

I'm pretty sure 100% would result in some noise complaints from my neighbours fairly quickly. Possibly from people who live in the next block.

For a really serious bit of bass, it's hard to go past "RATATA" by Skrillex, Missy Elliot and Mr. Oizo and indeed, this is exactly the kind of raise your hands in the air like you just don't care kind of track the Stage 320 was designed for; pumping, thumping bass that can be felt through the floor and walls all through the house.

But there's more than one kind of party. Personally, I'm more of a sing-a-long kind of guy than a dance all night from dusk-till-dawn kind of guy. The Stage 320 has that covered too.

Open the weather-proof back panel and you'll find quite a selection of ports; a mic socket, a mic/guitar input, an AUX line-in and a USB-A charging slot. This means the Stage 320 can work just like a guitar amp, with separate mic controls to adjust volume, treble, bass and echo. You can use it as a standalone speaker or play and sing along with whatever music you're playing (including karaoke tracks, obviously).

You can daisy-chain the Stage 320 with other speakers using the In and Out sockets too.

Unfortunately, you can't pair the wireless mics that JBL sold with earlier model PartyBoxes but they now offer separate mics that pair with their own wireless dongle.

What's really frustrating though, and this is not the first time JBL has been guilty of this, is this speaker is probably not able to be paired with other, earlier speakers to create a stereo pair, although you can obviously pair two identical Stage 320's which would make for a very loud stereo indeed.

However, excitingly, there is an Auracast button in between the bluetooth and Bassboost controls. The reason Auracast is so promising is although not backwards-compatible with other Harman/Kardon and JBL devices, there are many new speakers in the pipeline that will also have Auracast connectivity built in. I've been told this new Bluetooth standard will allow any number of speakers to be linked, regardless of model or size. Apparently, JBL will be soon be releasing software to allow you to create an Auracast surround system. For example, imagine using the Stage 320 for its impressive bass-boosting abilities as a subwoofer, while pairing a couple of smaller JBLs to use as rear surround units. Watch this space.

I haven't mentioned the lighting or sound effects that also help add a bit of fun to your Stage 320 party. The lights are more customisable than ever, via the PartyBox app. You can choose one of the many preset patterns, create your own or simply cycle through them all.

I'm less enamoured with the sound effects which can be assigned to the three buttons in the middle of the top console. I can't quite imagine having the urge to play random record scratches or weird female vocal samples in the middle of my party but they're there if you want them.

At the end of the day, the PartyBox Stage 320 is a genuine powerhouse. It's ultra-loud, provides too much bass right when you want it and the long battery life, wheels and telescopic handle make it much more portable than many other party speakers of this size. It's not a half-bad guitar and mic amp either, making it a great-value, if not essential centrepiece of your next party.

    

    

Click here for more information and pricing on the JBL PartyBox Stage 320.

Swann MaxRanger4K Solar - This Security System Will Go Far

One thing I've learned about tech over the years is as good as any device may be, there's always room for improvement.

I've found this has been especially true for home security cameras.

As CCTV technology has evolved and become more accessible, features like picture quality, two-way communication and smart motion detection have all improved as well.

And yet...

There are still two things I'd like my cameras to do;

I'd like to be able to mount them anywhere - unrestricted by how far the Wi-Fi or power supply reaches.

And I'd like access to basic features like video storage without having to pay an ongoing subscription.

Is it possible Swann has solved my two major pain points?

The MaxRanger4K solar security system makes some pretty bold claims, the biggest of which are a range of up to 600 metres and something Swann calls "forever charging."

We'll get into all that shortly but first, let's take a few minutes to unpack the MaxRanger4K solar system - and you will definitely need a few minutes, there's plenty to unpack.

The MaxRanger4K system comes in a pack of four, three or two cameras, with the option of a single add-on camera if you decide you need to expand your system down the track. I was sent the two-pack to review but there's a lot more in the box than just a couple of cameras. You'll also find the Power Hub, which is the key to the MaxRanger4K's unprecedented range, a couple of outdoor mounting stands and the associated hardware, plenty of theft deterrent stickers so the baddies know they're being watched, an ethernet cable, a 64GB microSD card, two USB charging cables, an HDMI cable and even a mouse.

Not a bad stash for NZ$1049.95.

But wait... did you say an HDMI cable and a mouse? Like a computer mouse? Yup. That's because instead of accessing the camera feeds and recordings via your phone or tablet - which you can obviously do via the Swann Security app - you can also plug the Power Hub into any display with an HDMI input to create your own on-screen feed.

But I'm getting ahead of myself.

First we have to set these cameras up and that's a bit boring I'm afraid, because it involves charging everything first, which takes several hours. Each camera has a weather-proof rubber bung at the back concealing a USB port, an on/off switch and a pairing button. In most cases, you'll only need to access these once, as the cameras are pre-paired to the Power Hub and because they're solar powered, they only need an initial charge to get them going.

Which brings us to that "forever charge" claim. It's been my experience with most solar-powered devices they work well at first but once the weather has its way with the solar panels they tend to get gunged up, dirty and generally stop doing what they're supposed to. However, the solar panels on top of each of the MaxRanger4K cameras are not like any other I've encountered before. They're not smooth and glassy but are knobbly and rubbery instead. Who knows if this will work out better (it's only been a week or so at this stage) but so far, each camera is doing a great job of charging itself up every day.

The Power Hub even contains a removable rechargeable cell which will provide several hours backup power in the event of an outage. And of course, it's the Power Hub that's the real key to this system's impressive range.

Unlike some cameras, the Swann MaxRanger4K units don't connect directly to your home Wi-Fi. Instead, they link via their own network to the Power Hub which is hardlined to your router via ethernet cable. The only downside to a system like this is you may be somewhat restricted as to where you can install the Power Hub as it'll need to be within an ethernet cable's reach of your router or access point. However, this becomes a bit of a non-issue thanks to the genuinely insane range of this thing.

Remember, Swann promises up to 600 metres(open air) and 200 metres (typical use) - but even at 200 metres that's so much further than most people's Wi-Fi will reach - especially from inside though external walls, doors and windows etc.

The combination of totally wireless, solar-powered cameras and this unheard-of range means you can put the cameras anywhere... in trees, at the end of fence lines, down long driveways... there's essentially no limitation making this the ideal home security solution for people living in rural settings or on larger lifestyle blocks.

By modern suburban standards, my home is built on a pretty large section 700m2+ so I decided to mount my two MaxRanger4K cameras at opposite corners - one up a palm tree at the very front of my property and one on the fence at the very back. The signal from both Sony STARVIS 4K sensors comes in loud and clear, no trouble at all. And thanks to the powerful, built-in spotlights, that means high definition footage, day or night.

When you think about it, positioning cameras like this, pointing back at your property, makes a lot more sense than attaching them to the house looking out; this way you can monitor several doors, gates and windows at once.

You can then have alerts sent to your phone, tablet or smartwatch, much like most other cameras. These alerts come through in quick time and here's the other big bonus of this system, you don't have to pay extra to store your automated video recordings. These can be saved to the included microSD card, an external storage drive attached to the Power Hub via USB, or in the cloud on your linked Dropbox account.

In my view, this is the very least a camera system you've already spent hundreds on should do - and yet so many of Swann's competitors insist you pay a subscription for the privilege of storing your own recordings. It drives me nuts.

That's not to say Swann doesn't offer its own subscription-based optional extras. These include longer periods of cloud storage, a greater range of specific notifications and extended support, warranty and insurance options. I consider all these to be nice-to-haves rather than have-to-haves - although I do prefer to have lockscreen previews of saved clips as these are usually visible on my smartwatch too.

The point is, I've used cameras that will only offer basic notifications and live-stream without a paid subscription - no recordings available at all. I credit Swann for not holding its customers to ransom that way.

There's a trial period for the Swann Secure+ plans and no, it's not just a month. You can try the extra features like package, vehicle and pet detection for a generous 90 days before you have to decide if they're worth paying for.

As I've already outlined, you can also plug the Power Hub into a monitor or TV for a bigger display of up to eight cameras. Using the included mouse you can easily access your recordings or make changes to your setup instead of using the app.

The only place the MaxRanger4K system doesn't quite deliver for me is there's no way to customise the zones each camera monitors; you can adjust the sensitivity of the motion detection but you can't block out specific areas like busy roads or public footpaths.  Perhaps this is something that could be added in a future firmware upgrade or if not, in the next generation of cameras.

For now though, the MaxRanger4K system absolutely delivers when it comes to a totally wireless security camera. I just checked the app and both cameras are fully charged (as always) and I've certainly never experienced range like this before.

    

Click here for more information on the Swann MaxRanger4K solar 2 camera security system.

Lotus Wheel - How's Your Back?

Every now and then I like to try a gadget that isn't strictly a "tech" device but is still tech-adjacent.

I've had a bad back as long as I can remember. So I guess that qualifies as chronic pain. Once it got so bad I spent a lot of money on a specialist who told me it was probably all due to a childhood injury I sustained when a fell off a piece of playground equipment.

Whatever the original cause, a lot of other stuff has happened to me over the years that certainly hasn't helped. Decades of terrible posture for a start. Dislocating one shoulder, then breaking the other ten years later wasn't fun either.

Then, on top of it all, I sit around hunched over keyboards and sound desks all day.

That last bit probably sounds familiar to most people. Even just standing or sitting, scrolling on your phone tends to make you curl over like a brittle, dried-up leaf.

Then, no matter how much you stretch and exercise, that tension just seems to get worse - almost as if it's compounding every day.

Because of my banged-up shoulders, I've now been diagnosed with a nerve condition called Complex Regional Pain Syndrome (CRPS) which means I have to take nightly medication just so I can sleep.

Bummer. What to do?

The Lotus Wheel isn't a magic back pain bullet but I do believe it's definitely helping.

To say there's no tech involved in the design of the Lotus Wheel isn't true, of course. Although the wheel itself doesn't have any moving parts, it's not just a random assemblage of plastic and rubber either. I'd like to tell you exactly what it's made of but to be honest, even though the Lotus Wheel 3-Pack arrives in a nice box, there's no packaging (good) and very little information.

There is a little eleven-page leaflet that tells you "All You Need To Know." That includes how to use the three wheels to help relieve back pain and tension and suggests other uses like correcting posture, deep stretching and rolling for muscle recovery.

While that may be all I "need" to know, it's not all I "want" to know. For example; how long should I use the Lotus Wheel for? How many times should I roll up and down on it and should I use it more than once a day? Seriously, what are the rules here?

So I visited the Lotus Wheel website and while it's a very uncluttered site that expands slightly on what was in the leaflet, despite a few user reviews there's not much more to be found - however, after a bit more clicking I did discover the "supreme comfort foam padding" is 10mm thick and the ABS plastic core can hold up to 200kgs (phew).

I was expecting a few instructional demo videos but no, just the three Lotus Wheels; a 33cm Gentle option, a 27cm Firm one and a 17cm model for Deep Tissue. You can choose between black or green inners and the 3-pack with one of each size is only NZ$149.00 - which I think is a steal for any kind of gym equipment - especially something that seems to be as well-manufactured as these are.

So... 

I figured the only thing left to do was to give them a go, starting with the largest wheel to minimise the pressure over a bigger surface area. 

As far as basic operation goes, it really is just that; basic. You sit on the floor with the wheel behind you, then lie back onto it, rolling it up and down your spine - except... that's not strictly accurate because each wheel has a "Spinal Groove" to minimise pressure on your backbone itself. Instead, it's the muscles either side that get the real workout, although there's no doubt your spine opens up right away - even on the very first roll.

Everyone in my household has immediately achieved a few satisfying clickety-clacks with very little effort and I'm amazed how I seem to be able to get that kind of relief every time I use it. I also quickly identified exactly which part of my back harbours the most tension and it's that bit I focus on the most.

Although the "All You Need To Know" leaflet recommends starting with the large Lotus Wheel and eventually working your way down, I'm not a particularly patient patient, so I cracked straight on (pun intended).

There's no doubt the smaller you go, the more intense the pressure - that's just basic physics - but the great thing about the smallest, 17cm wheel is you can give your neck a good roll with it, even if it's just against the wall.

As I type this, I'm also using it behind my back against my office chair to assist with my usually-terrible posture.

The Lotus Wheels can also be used for other stretches like traditional foam rollers and like those rollers, you can target sore and fatigued muscles in other parts of your body as well.

But if you have a back you like to crack, this is the targeted device especially for you. It turns out, that leaflet really was all I needed to know - how many times and how often I use it is up to me. There's a nagging voice in the back of my head that says maybe I should have consulted my healthcare professional before using something like this and indeed, those very words are printed on the Lotus Wheel leaflet but... whatevs.

And it turns out I was just being a crusty old boomer looking for vids on the website. Why would they be there when they can be posted on the @thelotuswheel Insta page?

    

Click here for more information and pricing on the Lotus Wheel.

D-Link M30 Aquila Pro AI Add-On Point - And Another Thing...

Today's review isn't really a review.  That's because it's only been a couple of months since I first tried the D-Link Aquila Pro AI mesh system and nothing's really changed since then.

Except... It's possible you went out and bought yourself a couple of Aquila Pro AI routers and discovered that although they cover a very large area, your area's even larger and you still have a couple of dark spots you're not quite getting to.

What's more likely is you haven't done anything and you're still sitting there frustrated with your home Wi-Fi performance not knowing quite what to do about it.

At least, that's what the Commerce Commission's RealSpeed report suggested earlier this month. The commission found that many consumers were paying top dollar for "Ultra-Fast" fibre plans but were being let down by slow or outdated routers, effectively having their powerful plans choked off and slowed down at the first hurdle, before any devices could even connect to their home network.

Either way, once again D-link has come to the rescue.

Just to quickly recap, a mesh router system like D-Link Aquila Pro AI lets you set up a home Wi-Fi network with multiple routers, all using the same SSID (or network name) and password so you can remain seamlessly connected, everywhere around the house.

Back in February, I was impressed with D-Link's Aquila Pro AI devices, although at that time I'd only had access to the M30 2-pack. Even so, this was plenty of coverage for my large, two-storey, four-bedroom home. 

This was due partly to the large number of internal antennae in each device (5 in fact) and the more spherical coverage pattern created by the Aquila Pro AI's distinctive stingray-like shape. Most conventional routers do okay at pushing their signal out sideways and to a certain extent, down - but they often struggle with height. For example, many Wi-Fi users run into problems in upstairs bedrooms if their sole router is plugged in back down behind the TV on the ground floor.

Supposedly, D-Link has created a much more versatile device here, producing a more even, ball-shaped coverage area from each Aquila router.

However, the beauty of a system like this is you can keep adding on and to be completely honest, while two routers covered all my rooms easily, I do have a number of security cameras installed outside and it's often a challenge to get a reliable feed from some of the more ambitiously situated ones.

So I thought it would be well worth adding a third Aquila Pro to the mix - and as I've already mentioned, they're available as single add-ons, or in packs of two or three.

If you are one of those people the Commerce Commission is concerned with though, perhaps the main reason you're accessing this webpage via a slow, outdated router is you're worried you don't have the tech know-how to set up a mesh system like this on your own.

Let me assure you, you can do it. Which is why I filmed the little video at the bottom of this article to demonstrate just how straightforward the D-Link setup process is. The main trick is to make sure you download the right D-Link app - as I complained in my previous Aquila Pro AI review, it makes no sense to have three or four different apps that all do essentially the same thing, just because you keep bringing out new products.

That aside, once you have downloaded the app - the Aquila Pro AI app that is - the rest is child's play. Just follow the instructions, don't skip any steps and you should have your new mesh network set up in just a few minutes... Especially given the add-on devices pair themselves automatically. Oops... Hope I didn't ruin the end of the video!

The point is, don't let technophobia keep you from fast, reliable Wi-Fi coverage at your place - or even outside your place. D-Link's new M30 Aquila Pro AI devices look good and work even better, promising speeds of up to 2400Mbps, which should be plenty for everyone. Although, if you really want to fire things up, D-Link has just brought out its M60 range of Aquila Pro AI routers - they're even faster... But that's a whole other story...

    

Click here for more information and pricing on the D-Link M30 Aquila Pro AI Add-On Point.

Click here for the full Commerce Commission RealSpeed report.

Apple MacBook Air with M3 - No Compromise. Only Good Stuff

As a relatively late adopter when it comes to Apple Macs, I've only really had intimate experience with those powered by Apple Silicon - the M-series chips that took over where Intel left off.

I was impressed with the no-fuss, elegant performance of the M1 iMac I reviewed in 2021. Then I was positively blown away by the sheer power and faultless reliability of the M2 MacBook Pro last year... to the point I was seriously wondering what more Apple could do to improve my daily computing experience.

When I had the opportunity to test-drive this year's MacBook Air, obviously I jumped at the chance - albeit preparing myself for the inevitable step down from Pro to Air. To be honest, I'm still trying to find that step.

My uninterrupted enjoyment of the MacBook Air (M3) began with the setup. Every time I set up a new iPhone, I'm completely wowed by how comprehensive the transfer process is from my old phone to the new one. Apps, settings, accounts and logins all magically appear on the new device with very few exceptions. If anything, this process is even more streamlined for MacBooks.

Unfortunately, because I'd been sent the MacBook Air to review, it was time to return the M2 MacBook Pro I've been using for the last year or so. That meant initialising a transfer operation - very straightforward assuming both devices are connected to the same Wi-Fi network. Migrating my files and settings from the Pro to Air prompted a window to appear suggesting the process could take several hours but like magic, this estimate quickly reduced before my eyes.

Then I noticed a small prompt at the bottom of the window suggesting the transfer could be sped up even more if I connected the two computers with a Thunderbolt cable. Luckily, I had a Thunderbolt 4 cord on hand and I decided to give it a go. Despite the migration having already started via Wi-Fi, it quickly detected the new connection and the transfer accelerated even more - at some points reaching speeds over 1GBps. The was all done in under half-an-hour.

At this point I was quite gobsmacked to discover how completely my previous Pro configuration had been cloned across to the new MacBook Air; every app, every setting - even personalised preferences within apps copied over, with only a few automated prompts for login credentials here and there. I have never had such a seamless migration experience before - and I've set up a lot of computers over the years.

Physically, the MacBook Air also impresses. Living up to its name, the Air is lighter and thinner than the Pro (and most other laptops for that matter) and comes in four colours; Silver, Space Grey, Starlight and a new Midnight, complete with a specially anodised surface to reduce fingerprints. I'm not sure why this isn't done with the other colours - perhaps being lighter, the fingerprint issue isn't as obvious.

My review device is Starlight - which is a subtle gold-almost-but-not-quite-silver colour. The entry-level MacBook Air with M3 chip, 8GB of RAM and 512GB of storage is NZ$2,399.00, but with just a couple of key tweaks, my one quickly pushes through the $3k mark by upgrading to 16GB of unified memory and a 1TB SSD.

You can go right up to 24GB/2TB if you want and of course this year the big news is there's now a 15-inch version, which is obviously a lot more appealing to the digital creators out there.

However, before you decide to step up to the larger model, you should know Apple has made another significant upgrade to the 2024 MacBook Air; it can now run two external monitors, not just one. The catch is you have to have the lid closed to do it, so you'll also need an external keyboard and mouse but if it's maximum screen real-estate you desire, two big matching monitors would be the way to go.

Not that there's anything wrong with the MacBook Air's own 13.6-inch Liquid Retina display - it's just as sharp, bright and clear as we've all come to expect from Apple devices like these. Sound quality is also excellent - perhaps not super loud but the four-speaker Spatial Audio and Dolby Atmos-enabled speaker array is clear and precise. (Or six speakers on the 15-inch model - complete with something called "force-cancelling woofers")

Where some people do have a problem with the design is a condition I like to call port-shortage. There are only two Thunderbolt/USB 4 ports on the left-hand side and an audio jack on the right. This is something that used to drive me nuts but lately, my feelings have softened dramatically. Firstly, unlike previous Intel-powered MacBook Airs, these days there's a proprietary MagSafe 3 charging port - so you don't have to sacrifice one of your USB slots for charging purposes.

Secondly, because I like to run a lot of accessories, I'm more than comfortable using an external hub of some kind to add both USB-C and USB-A connectivity, along with card readers, LAN ethernet connectivity, cameras, mics, whatever.

Thirdly... a lot of that stuff is becoming increasingly irrelevant.

Take charging for example; the MacBook Air with M3 runs for anywhere between 14-18 hours on a single charge. Nobody delivers on battery life like Apple does and with this device they've taken it even further. I don't even think about how much battery I have left anymore. There'll be enough. There always is.

A hardwired LAN connection is another nice-to-have - but this device is Wi-Fi 6E compatible which means if you've got a decent router, wireless speed and reliability won't be an issue.

And as for plugging in cameras and mics for meetings etc... You might want to check out my video below for a little demo of just how good the built-in 1080p FaceTime HD camera and triple-mic array are. This really is a professional online video conferencing tool that folds flat into your handbag or briefcase.

None of this matters if the MacBook Air doesn't perform, of course.

Well... no worries there. The M3 chip with 8-core CPU and 10-core GPU never flinches, no matter what I throw at it. Multiple apps and browser windows open on different screens? The MacBook Air doesn't even break a sweat. Literally. Although it doesn't have the active cooling fans of the Pro models, I simply can't seem to slow this machine down and better still, there's no fan noise.

As part of my "real" job at Newstalk ZB, I spend a lot of time editing large multi-track audio sessions in Adobe Audition. Not only does the M3 MacBook Air handle this with a smoothness and reliability I've rarely experienced before, the fast and strong Wi-Fi 6E connection means uploading and downloading my audio projects from the cloud takes less time than ever before.

Just on a practical, productivity basis, the faster speeds the MacBook Air opens apps from a standing start literally saves me time by the end of the day.

I'm not much of a gamer but even I have noticed more and more high-end gaming content has become available to Mac users over the last few years and it's no surprise. Fast chips + great displays + excellent sound + premium graphics ability all adds up to a very satisfying gaming experience indeed.

And it wouldn't be a 2024 tech release if I didn't talk about AI. The M3 chip features a 16-core Neural Engine, along with a host other of under-the-hood tweaks that make any MacBook a go-to device when it comes to on-device machine learning. This means accessing, converting and manipulating all manner of speech, text and images happens just as efficiently as everything else on this device.

If it sounds like I'm gushing it's because I'm gushing. After spending a long time using the M2-powered MacBook Pro, I wasn't expecting to enjoy the new MacBook Air this much but honestly, I'm only seeing upsides here; all the speed and power I need, unrivalled battery life and so slim and portable. I can run it with two large external monitors at my desk or just enjoy the finely-tuned built-in audio and display performance when I'm out and about. When it comes to versatility, dependability and portability, I don't think I've come across anything else quite like it.

    

Click here for more information and pricing on the Apple MacBook Air (with M3).

Amazon Echo Dot with Clock (5th Gen) - Not New But Still Worth a Look

Around this time last year, Amazon unveiled a couple of new Echo Devices; a revamped Echo Show 5 and an entirely new form factor, the Echo Pop.

I still haven't been hands-on with the Echo Pop yet but its low price (around NZ$85.00) meant it replaced the Echo Dot as Amazon's new entry-level smart speaker.

The fact it kind of looks like an Echo Dot sliced through the middle also caused many of us to wonder if we'd ever see a new Echo Dot ever again.

Confusingly, the most recent Dot, launched in 2022, is still on sale, in two variants - with clock and without.

Even more confusingly, many retailers are still selling the previous 4th Generation model as well - that's now four years old.

So what's going on here? And which of these speakers is right for you? If any...

Like the 4th Gen Dot before it, the more recent (but not that recent) 5th Generation Echo Dot has surprisingly impressive sound, right out of the box. Remember, these speakers are only about 10cm across and yet they both get loud enough to fill a room and offer genuine range across all frequencies - even pumping out more bass than you would think possible from a device small enough to hold in the palm or your hand.

That said, there's no question the 5th Gen does a better job than its predecessor in terms of clarity  - some people argue the 4th Gen actually goes a little louder but I'd take the less-muddy, fuller range of the 5th Gen over sheer volume any day.

What both speakers have in common is a real warmth and space to the music they play, with more acoustic artists like Ed Sheeran sounding particularly full and live.

But what I didn't know until I got my hands on the 5th Gen Dot is, you can pair these together to create a fine stereo array. I don't just mean buying two identical speakers - if, like me, you already have a 4th Gen, you can pair a 5th Gen with it and the result is astonishingly good.

This is thanks to fairly recent updates Amazon has made to the Alexa app, making it a lot easier (and more reliable) to group different Echo speakers together. In fact, you can also add other non-Echo devices into the mix, assuming they are still Alexa-enabled. When I originally played around with this multi-room functionality, I quickly became frustrated with how fiddly it was to group several speakers together and assign them to rooms, only to discover I then couldn't play different streams in different places simultaneously. Amazon has sorted all this out now, making it easier than ever to tweak what's playing out of each speaker - either in conversation with Alexa or via the Alexa app on your phone.

The point is, I've paired a Gen 4 Dot with a Gen 5 one and suddenly I have a whole new stereo sound system. My new Echo Dot is a Dot-with-Clock version and the LED display is a significant upgrade over the previous generation. The more "dotty" display doesn't just do numbers now, it will show information like artist names and track titles while they're playing.

The newer Dot has a more powerful chip and also includes a temperature sensor, which means you can automate your aircon to switch on if the room gets too hot or cold. There's also better compatibility with more smart home devices so all in all, the 2022 Dot is quite a step up.

In many respects, both dots really are quite similar - they even use identical power supplies and have the same configuration of rubberised buttons on top - although the 5th generation Dot's buttons are a lighter colour.

The only advantage Gen 4 has over Gen 5 is its 3.5mm AUX input - the newer Dot doesn't have this so if you're determined to hard-wire your source device, you'll have to stay back in 2020.

As for the Echo Pop, I can only speculate as I haven't had hands-on experience. What I do know is it uses the same chip as the 5th Generation Dot but it doesn't have the same sensors built in. So, not only can it not tell you the temperature, you can't just tap it to pause the music. There isn't a Pop-with-Clock version either, so you'll need a Dot if you want to see the time, not just ask Alexa what it is.

Have I been any help at all? Or have I just made things more confusing? All I know is as I sit here listening to Pink Floyd blasting out in crystal-clear stereo, I'm glad at least one tech company has found a way to make devices more compatible, not less. 

    

Click here for more information on the Amazon Echo Dot with Clock (5th Gen).

Ring Battery Video Doorbell Pro - Great... But Has Anything Really Changed?

Way back in April of 2021, I wrote... "How is the Video Doorbell (2020 Release) different from the Video Doorbell Elite? And why is there a Video Doorbell 3 Plus and a Video Doorbell 4?"

I was talking about Ring's identity crisis - a seemingly endless selection of video doorbells, all more or less the same to look at, with a slight variation in features.

Well, three years have passed since then so...

I'm somewhat resigned to revealing the latest collection of words in a different combination; may I present the Ring Battery Video Doorbell Pro. So you should be able to spot the difference there if you're really concentrating; this is the "Pro" model but it now comes with a battery.

You can still wire the device in if you're replacing an existing, mains-powered doorbell and as usual, Ring has included plenty of hardware in the box to help you hook up the terminals.

But the obvious advantage of now being battery-powered is you can mount the Video Doorbell Pro anywhere. My front door is metal, so I'd prefer not to drill holes in it unless absolutely necessary. Thanks to the doorbell's new portability, I have installed it on the adjacent wall instead. There's also an angled mounting wedge in the box and I've made use of this so I can keep an eye on the front path as well as the entranceway.

This is a great option if you do want to put the device right on your door though - no wires required. Or perhaps it makes more sense to have a security camera like this at your front gate instead? As long as you're within range of your home Wi-Fi network, you're in business.

If you've had Ring doorbells before, or even if you've only seen them out and about, you may be surprised to see this one looks pretty much exactly the same. What surprised me more was, even after three years, it basically IS the same. Well... like I say, there are a lot of different models with a lot of different features. What separates the Battery Video Doorbell Pro is it brings all of those features into one device and adds a dash of colour.

After previously introducing the option for colour night vision videos at a resolution of up to 1536p, Ring has now colourised its "Pre-roll" video preview feature. This option is actually quite unique to Ring and is a compelling reason to choose the Battery Video Doorbell Pro over any other. "Pre-roll" means your saved videos - whether they're fired off by the motion sensor or a press of the doorbell button - include a few seconds' footage from before that event. So, if some dirtbag sprints up to your doorstep to nick your parcel and dashes away again, you have a much better chance of catching their ugly mug on camera. For some reason, before the Battery Video Doorbell Pro came along, this pre-roll footage was only black-and-white. Now it's colour and crystal clear.

Other great (but not new) features include Bird's Eye View, which combines historical satellite imagery of your property with Ring's advanced radar detection to show you an overhead impression of any visitor's route up to or away from your front door. You also get the options of Quick Replies, Package Alerts, 3D Motion Detection and Two-Way Talk with enhanced audio.

But as always, there's a catch. Many of these features are only available if you subscribe to one of the Ring Protect Plans. The Basic Protect Plan will cost you NZ$4.95 a month but if you want to cover more than one Ring device, you'll need to fork out NZ$15 a month. (Or $150 for an annual discount) Like any successful pusher, Ring gives you a month free when you first set up your device to get you well and truly hooked. Then all of a sudden if you want to record and save any video, payment is required. 

Am I just sounding a bit cheap? After all, five bucks a month isn't the end of the world. Perhaps I wouldn't feel so aggrieved if the Battery Video Doorbell Pro didn't cost so much to begin with - $NZ369.00 isn't exactly chump change. And should receiving rich notifications (thumbnail previews) on your phone or smartwatch really be a premium extra? 

All I know is there are other video doorbells and cameras out there that let you store your videos locally on SD cards or will even keep your vids in the cloud for free.

That aside, with all its features activated, there's a very good chance the Ring Battery Video Doorbell Pro is the best example of its kind on the market today. It plays very nicely with other Amazon devices, like the Alexa-enabled Echo Show smart speakers and the new Echo Hub - and obviously, you can add other Ring products like security lights and cameras or perhaps a Wi-Fi-connected chime.

As has always been the case with the Ring home security range, I'm really torn with my overall verdict. There's no doubt the sheer number of features the Battery Video Doorbell Pro has to offer is impressive. The fact Ring has taken its flagship doorbell and made it way more versatile by putting a battery in it is also impressive. That Ring has dramatically improved battery life in the process is perhaps the most impressive thing of all. My same old conflict is over the Ring Protect subscription - as good as this device is, it isn't much without the "subscription-only" features and I simply don't like being held to ransom that way.

    

Click here for more information and pricing on the Ring Battery Video Doorbell Pro.